Tony Abbott

1 week ago | hockeywilderness.com | Tony Abbott

We all have an image in our head of what an "offensive defenseman" is. They're skilled players with the skill to create on the offensive end of the ice, but usually at a price on the defensive end. Think of Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, who dazzled with 66 points as a rookie for the Montreal Canadiens but finished as one of the 20 worst defensemen in even-strength defense, per Evolving-Hockey.

1 week ago | hockeywilderness.com | Tony Abbott

Every year, when the Stanley Cup is awarded, the hockey world looks at the team that just won and asks, How do we do that thing? For the second year in a row, teams will try to copy the Florida Panthers' formula, and for the first time in a row, the Minnesota Wild will have some flexibility to keep up with the Seth Joneses. The theme of this Panthers run to the Cup is that they're 1) incredibly talented and 2) very willing to play dirty playoff hockey.

1 week ago | hockeywilderness.com | Tony Abbott

You don't have to, but you can look at the David Jiříček trade like this: The Minnesota Wild traded up to the sixth overall pick in the 2022 Draft. If on that draft day, someone offered the State of Hockey a chance to trade up to get Jiříček -- without even costing them the picks that became Liam Öhgren and Danila Yurov -- that deal would be enthusiastically approved. Granted, that is the most favorable way to frame that trade.

1 week ago | zonecoverage.com | Tony Abbott

Joe Ryan is pitching like an All-Star in 2025. What else is new? Ryan pitches like an All-Star every season… for a while. Last year, Ryan mowed down all comers through the end of June, allowing a 3.21 ERA and striking out 110 batters in 103.2 innings. Through June 22, 2023, Ryan allowed two or fewer earned runs in nine of his 15 outings, with a 2.98 ERA on the whole. His first 15 starts in 2022 were eerily similar, with a 2.89 ERA through July 23. 2025 might be his best first half yet.

1 week ago | hockeywilderness.com | Tony Abbott

The NHL's salary cap is on the rise, but the league's economy might be about to grind to a halt. There's a flow to player movement. There are usually a group of teams looking to reset their competitive window, and a team of buyers looking to fuel them with futures for the price of taking the sellers' good players off their hands. But unless a team is interested in the Pittsburgh Penguins and their slightly used Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust, that might not happen this offseason.